My view is that the IMC rating has to exist
because the alternative - the single crew instrument rating is effectively (in the UK) an extension of a professional pilot licence. i.e. Its expensive and difficult and time consuming to get and to maintain
(Most airline pilots are letting their single crew IRs lapse as they only need the multi-crew IR.)
Contrast with the US where the IR is much more widely available. Often I hear
people justify this by saying that we have special weather over here and that the
American system wouln't work.
These people dont seem to realise that many of the pilots flying in and out of Heathrow every day have FAA/IRs
I have flown in New Jersey in the winter
and its just the same or slightly worse than the UK - low-cloud, freezing at
the surface throughout the winter.
I sometimes think that us British chaps can
be rather arrogant we know best etc etc
as we fly our American aircraft around the
UK in our own unique style
The CAA, on transition to JAA actually forgot about the poor PPL/IR people and there was no JAA exam for them - correct me
if I'm wrong but aren't they still doing the old BCPL nav sets ?
If we dumped the IMC the IR would need to become cheaper and easier - otherwise accident levels would rise.
As for instructors there is a shortage of them isn't there ? If we added another
10K onto their initial training costs
there would be a reduction in numbers
and a further reduction in PPL new starters ?
Now theres an idea - wouldn't that reduce the risk... Aaaah
Best if we all stayed on the ground
[This message has been edited by RVR800 (edited 23 October 2000).]